Category: Self Publishing

As a nonfiction author, you’re an expert on a topic—be it health care, personal finance, or neuroscience. This is what sets you apart from others and makes your blog posts more interesting. From time to time, it’s important to offer your readers a different perspective for the content you write—so you are not predictable or promotional. Here are four ways you can make your content more intriguing.

1.Offer expert critique of the hottest issue in the news if you are qualified. Alternatively, you can amplify what someone else is saying about the issue. The Ebola virus has become a major health concern and one that transcends borders. If you’re in health care, write about how to not catch viruses in general or clarify any myths about Ebola.

2. Show readers parts of the profession/work you do that they don’t know about. If you’re an expert don’t repeat the advice people get everywhere; write about topics that only you would know about from experience. For example, if you’re a venture capitalist, what do you observe about entrepreneurs in their closed-door meetings and pitches that people don’t see? If you’re a financial planner, what are some of the situations clients bring you that are most common? Think about what you see or know and offer these insights in a post.

3. Make a “best of” list. Nobody has the time to read everything, which is why “best of” lists are popular; they winnow down content into bites of information. Plus, they are fun and interesting. Think about ways you can simplify the universe of information on your topic and come up with recommendations—“5 Best Movies on Finance and Wall Street” or “5 Best Business Memoirs” or “10 Worst Book Jackets.”

4. Ask other experts in your field or a related one to write a guest post on your blog. Guest posting is one of the most underutilized but effective ways to offer your readers a different perspective on an issue. Inviting an expert or two to guest blog will spur your own thinking and help you reach a wider audience (by asking your guest blogger to share the content with their networks).

Chances are once you’ve published new content to your website, you automatically update your other social media platforms to reach friends and fans: you send out a tweet, update your Pinterest and LinkedIn accounts, share on Google+, and post to Facebook. What you may not know is the new content you just posted on Facebook will not automatically appear on your friends or fans’ newsfeeds. In fact, your content will reach smaller number of fans than before. If you want to ensure reaching all your fans, it will be at a cost.

In the good old days it was a given that your posts would appear in your fans’ newsfeeds (where people spend the majority of their time) but according to Facebook, the onslaught of content has increased competition for what is limited space. Over the past six months, Facebook changed its algorithm; now, fewer fans are reading your content in their newsfeeds.

There is no doubt that Facebook is an important tool for authors. It’s where you can generate “Likes” for your work, comment on posts, and interact with your fans. But with these new changes, you’ll have to decide whether it’s the right social distribution channel for you. Our recommendation? Your blog or website should be your top priority for three reasons:

1) you are in complete control of the site

2) your content is searchable on the world wide web

3) you can build your email marketing list by capturing the name and email addresses of people who read your content.

If you use other social media channels to reach your audience then by all means continue to maintain your presence on these sites—including your Facebook page. Every social networking tool has a purpose; you have to determine which one(s) suits you and where you want to invest your time. Just remember driving traffic to your website should be your main objective.

Big Fish Media is chronicling author Susan Price in a series of posts as she navigates the world of self-publishing. We follow the choices she faces, the decisions she makes, and the challenges she encounters in all areas, including research, production, and marketing. We’ll also offer tips, resources, and insights about self-publishing.

By Sarita Venkat

Susan is in the home stretch of completing her manuscript. As an expert on the topic of family philanthropy (she’s been immersed in the field for 15 years), Susan is writing a book titled Generous Genes: Raising Caring Kids in a Digital Age, which builds upon her 2001 book The Giving Family. Generous Genes will reflect the way kids are using technology as a tool in their giving. She started writing her book in earnest in early 2013; countless hours of research later, along with more than 100 interviews, and nearly half the words toward her goal of having a 60,000 word manuscript by February 1, 2014.

But, similar to the conundrum many writers face, it’s been challenging to keep up the writing momentum and find the time to promote her yet-to-be-published book (she’s also accepted a few paid consulting opportunities; while enticing when she’s getting no advance for her book, they have added a further wrinkle to her already tight schedule).

Publicity is critical at all stages of the self-publishing process so it’s never too early to promote your tome. As someone who has traveled the traditional publishing route with her previous titles, Susan will miss having a publicity department supporting her new book. (“Even though people complain that they didn’t get much help from the marketing folks, they still do some things for the author.”)

For example, Susan took advantage of the 2013 holiday season to generate buzz for her book by talking about how to raise compassionate children and encourage their giving activities.

Participating in a Google Hangout: Susan was invited to participate in a Google Hangout (a video chat) hosted by #GivingTuesday.org. #GivingTuesday is a campaign to create a national day of giving to celebrate and encourage charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations. The idea behind #GivingTuesday is that it follows Thanksgiving (a day of thanks) and Black Friday and Cyber Monday (two days for deals).

Giving the Keynote Address at a Fundraising Luncheon: Susan spoke about the book’s subject at a recent fundraising lunch for the Phoenix Children’s Museum.

Headlining a Webinar for an Interest Group of the Young Presidents’ Organization: Through education and idea exchange, YPO has a membership of business leaders in more than 120 countries. Approximately 40 people watched Susan during the webinar.

Susan also has multiple invitations to guest blogs for various websites. She’s currently weighing the ones to spend time on, which, while important, will take away from her other writing.

So, what’s next on Susan’s to-do list? She confesses to being a novice on social media but opened a Twitter account at https://twitter.com/SCritesPrice so you can follow her updates and ideas.

Key Takeaway: As a self-publisher, it’s best to start promoting your book before you have a finished manuscript in your hands. What promotional tactics are you using to spread the word?

Big Fish Media has added website design to our portfolio of services. During the last six months, we have developed the official website for the legacy of C.K. Prahalad; and the website for the book Choosing Change, by Susan Goldsworthy and Walter McFarland. We’ll have more news about our planned offerings soon; along the way, we’ve been doing our homework on top issues for nonfiction authors deciding to develop a website for their book. Over the next week or so, we will publish four posts offering insight, tactics, advice, and best practices to authors, drawn from our experience and analysis of successful nonfiction author websites.

Remember that in almost every case, authors need to be active in social media as well as operating a successful website. And, as Jason Allen Ashlock wrote in his excellent column The Truth About Author Websites, many experts believe a bad website does more harm than good. Because of the importance of costs and providing updated and new content, we still recommend WordPress as the best development platform and learning to self-admin your site is critical.

Consider a few of these basic must-dos for an author’s website, assuming his or her book is going to be published commercially and in distribution:

1. Keep content fresh: whether via blogging, news updates, interactive Q&A features, or other means; don’t allow your site to become stale (if you’re going to have a blog, be committed to creating new material at least once a week). Link to your social media.

2. Invest in a WordPress-savvy designer for a simple, elegant and functional approach. That may seem like obvious advice. What’s important is to visualize information in a style that consumers are used to: note the design on Simon & Schuster’s new websites.

3. In terms of functionality, the do no harm principle is key: whomever you hire to develop your site, take extra steps to ensure it is not buggy, that all links work, that there are no typos, and that functions provided on the site actually work. Further, avoid complex functionality that distract from your purpose, including digital bells and whistles such as Flash that won’t open properly on many machines: I like these 8 usability tips from Monica Valentinelli at SFWA.org.

4. Collect contacts and share valuable information via a newsletter or other regular outreach that could take place monthly, bi-monthly, what have you. Recruit followers for your book’s Facebook page. Newsletter signups should be available on the home page with no additional clickthroughs.

5. Use endorsements, media mentions and reviews, any manner of credible third-party affirmations to sell your message.What other people say about you is more important than what you say about you.

6. Be personal, open, and direct so viewers and readers get to know you. Personality matters. Rigorously scrub your bio and personal reflections of corporate jargon and excessive details. Share what’s important to you and gives you purpose. Such an approach can become counterproductive if you don’t use your common sense about what to reveal of yourself, or let your ego run amok. Business and leadership author Scott Berkun has a useful post on writing a bio; Richard Ridley in Amazon’s CreateSpace community offers a smart piece on the three types of author bios; marketing master innovator Rohit Bhargava writes and speaks frequently on why personality is important in connecting online–see his books and presentations here.

Readers are passionate. To self-publish, authors need to match that passion.

by Sarita Venkat

Big Fish Media is chronicling author Susan Price in a series of posts as she navigates the world of self-publishing. We follow the choices she faces, the decisions she makes, and the challenges she encounters in all areas, including research, production, and marketing. We’ll also offer tips, resources, and insights about self-publishing.

Even before Susan self-publishes her book she has something many—if not most—self-published authors lack: a solid foundation. In our conversations I learn what sets Susan apart from other writers.

Having passion: If you are writing a book to make money, stop right now. The only way you’ll succeed is if you are deeply passionate about your topic. Working with parents to help them instill philanthropic values such as giving and serving in their children (toddlers to teenagers) is Susan’s passion.

Being clear and focused: Susan has a purpose for writing her book: she wants to update her 2001 book The Giving Family:Raising Our Children To Help Others. For the new book, she will incorporate fresh ideas and insights that reflect giving in the digital age. Susan is also writing this new book to secure more speaking engagements. (“I am an extrovert and giving speeches is a great way to interact with people.”)

Understanding self-publishing: Susan has already traveled the traditional publishing path with her previous six books. But she wanted to try something different this time. Similar to other authors, she wants to retain more control of the publishing process and prefers not to find an agent or publisher this time. But, Susan is aware that it won’t be easy. If you are self-publishing be clear about what parts of the process you will do and those that you will outsource.

Being a subject matter expert: Susan has been immersed in family philanthropy for years. In addition to penning The Giving Family, she’s written numerous articles and given many speeches on the topic. She is a subject matter expert who is already known in her field. When she is ready to market her book, Susan will have a good starting point. But like other authors, she will have to research additional audiences to reach.

Building a legacy: On a personal note Susan is writing this book with her daughter. (“A boomer mother and her millennial daughter.”) Many of the principles and ideas in the book are from her own experience as a parent teaching her child about being compassionate.

Key Takeaway: What are your motivations for writing your book? Do you have a solid foundation to build from?

What does it take to successfully make the journey to bookstores and ereaders without a commercial publisher? We analyze one writer’s foray.

I just finished reading Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch’s book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book. In excruciating detail, the authors take the reader through a step-by-step process on how to self-publish by (fittingly) self-publishing APE. The book is a guide and resource for authors exploring an alternate publishing route. It’s also a good reminder that in the digital age, it doesn’t hurt writers and publishers to know about the social and technical tools available and accessible to them.

That said, self-publishing isn’t for the fainthearted. The information is overwhelming and the choices numerous. So it got us thinking—why don’t we help demystify the process by shadowing a nonfiction author as they navigate the self-publishing maze?

Meet Susan Crites Price. Susan is a Washington, DC-based freelance writer, book author, and speaker. She an expert on the topic of family philanthropy. Susan has talked about this issue on television (Oprah, NBC’s “Today”) and has written about it in various publications (Working Mother, The Chronicle of Philanthropy).

In 2001 Susan published The Giving Family: Raising Our Children To Help Others, a highly regarded book in the philanthropic world. According to Susan, the book helped her secure some speaking engagements, allowing her to talk about a topic she’s passionate about and in the process, sell more copies. Susan is currently writing an updated version taking into account technology’s role in charitable giving. (“Twelve years ago kids didn’t give online. Today, they do a million things online—including philanthropy.”)

Susan has already traveled the traditional publishing path with her previous six books, so this time she’s decided to self-publish. Why? Similar to many people she wants more control over the publishing process and prefers not to spend time finding an agent or publisher.

So, we’ll travel with Susan as she researches the self-publishing world. We’ll learn about the choices she faces, the decisions she makes, and the challenges she encounters. We’ll follow her as she decides on art for her book cover, finds a printing vendor, and devises a marketing plan.

Self-publishing may be liberating but it is also hard. Over the next few months, we’ll find out how one fearless author finds her way.

Whether you self-publish or work with a traditional publisher, the onus is on you—as the author—to promote your book. It may seem like a daunting task, especially when you have invested so much energy completing your manuscript, but selling your book doesn’t have to be complicated. Yes, you’ll have to put in a lot of time and effort but there are many simple strategies you can pursue that lay the foundation for more extensive investments in PR and advertising. In the age of social media, non-tech ideas are often overlooked. And strategies that enlist help from family members and friends are undervalued.

We asked several successful authors and publishing experts to share the secrets to their book-selling success. While their strategies are wide-ranging, they understood their audiences and built energy around their books. Identifying their market of potential buyers helped them craft and customize their strategies. Big Fish Media partner and author Laura Schenone notes that “you must think deeply about your audience and what would be of interest to the various segments of that audience.” Schenone would know; by understanding her audience, she crafted promotional and marketing strategies that augmented the user experience of her book—The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken. (You’ll have to read the rest of the post to learn what she did.)

So, what are some ways authors can leverage their passion, friends, and limited resources to reach readers and sell books? Here—in their own words—the authors and experts share what worked.

Spread the Word with Business Cards: One inexpensive, easy, and low-tech way to build momentum about your book is by using business cards. Editor and writer Toni Sciarra Poynter suggests making cards with the book cover on the front and promotional information on the back—a short testimonial about the book, your website, and ordering information. “Keep them with you, just as you do your regular business cards, and offer them to people you meet who are interested in your book. Your publisher may provide these or you could design and make them on your own,” says Poynter.

Capture Buyers by Creating and Giving Away a Free Resource: While working on The Freelancer’s Bible with Freelancers Union founder Sara Horowitz, Poynter says she learned a fundamental marketing strategy: “think of what you can give, not get.” In other words, Poynter recommends creating something you can give away and offer it to people who sign up on your blog or website. “When they do so, include an option box they can check if they’d like to receive a newsletter or email communications from you.” Deb Englander, editor at large at Wiley, also recommends curating a list of clients/fans/subscribers who have opted-in to receive your communications. “This remains one of the most effective ways to reach potential readers. Obviously, the larger the list, the larger the number of buyers but even a list of a few thousand subscribers is usually enough to boost a book’s ranking on Amazon,” Englander says.

Use Your Subject Matter Expertise to Connect with Readers: Author JoAnneh Nagler has reached audiences by conducting readings of her book at public libraries because many libraries across the country have bought her tome—The Debt-Free Spending Plan. “People who are in trouble with debt have checked out the book from their local libraries and have called me. This means that the book is reaching people in need of its message,” said Nagler. She has held many speaking engagements—“author nights”—at regional libraries to support that effort. “Sometimes there are five people and sometimes 20. But it’s a chance to delve into the topic in some detail and to be of service.” Nagler also strongly advises authors to promote their books using as much radio and local television—a strategy that’s worked well for her.

Be Creative and Host “Value-added” Events: Book signings and readings use to be staples of the industry, but as the world has become more digital and people are busier, it’s harder to get them to attend events unless you are famous. But what if you can offer more than the book at events and with reporters? That’s what Schenone did. To promote The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken, a homage to her family and food, Schenone showed her audience how to make ravioli from scratch. “I created a performance and carried rolling pins and flour everywhere and did ravioli demos.” When she wanted to get on NPR, she did more than talk about her book; Schenone offered to go to Washington and make ravioli with All Things Considered host Andrea Seabrook. NPR took her up on the offer. She also invited reporters to her home to make ravioli. “They were fascinated to see it,” she said. Schenone doesn’t believe this tactic is unique to food writers. She challenges other authors to think about how they can create truly innovative events that involve audience participation.

While the strategies outlined above are feasible for authors at any level, the key is to think about specific ways to build energy and excitement around your book—ways that make sense for you and your audience. Whatever the technological tools you have available, you can increase readership by building relationships, creating content, and hosting events with potential readers.

As a consultant, get a good understanding of the type of editorial service(s) the author is seeking for his/her manuscript. You’re the editorial expert so depending on the level of service needed—from straightforward copyediting and proofreading to more complex and time consuming developmental, stylistic, and substantive editing—you’ll be able to determine the client’s needs. (Read in-depth descriptions of each level of service in Part 1 of this post.)
Specifically consider these principles as you think about writing an author-consultant agreement:

Be transparent about your working style. Your prospective client has strong views about his or her book and has big plans for its future. The author is trusting you with “their baby,” and may have little experience with the editorial process. While many editors and writers need solitude to focus on their silent craft, be sure to explain your working style and understand the author’s work preferences as you’ll need to agree on a process. Consider the following questions: How many conversations do you need to be briefed? What is the appropriate number of email queries and questions? How do you prefer to integrate background and research information? What is the best way for you to receive feedback?

Respect the author’s commitment and passion for their written work, but manage your client’s expectations. Building up an author’s hopes should not be a deal-closing tool for an editorial consultant. When you see the manuscript during pre-agreement discussions, keep judgments about its potential out of the discussion. Limit your analysis to the work it will require from you and the expertise you bring to the author’s goals. Don’t criticize or praise the manuscript; if you truly like it, say so briefly. It’s sensible and fair to stay out of the role as a prognosticator of the book’s success or publishing potential. Respected nonfiction editorial consultant David Conti told me, “When I became an editorial consultant and book collaborator, I promised myself that I would always tell my clients the truth: about the quality of their ideas, about their chances of being published, about how I can—or can’t—help them. This can be difficult, especially in the “courting” stage of the relationship. But I’ve stuck to that promise, even when it meant losing the client.” (Learn more about David on his Linkedin page.)

Don’t “double book” your time. When considering a new project, be clear about your schedule and commitments to other clients. If you have 30 hours a week of client time to sell and have two clients occupying 20 hours over the next few months, adding another major client who needs 20 hours a week will result in a subpar job for one or more of your clients. You’ll also burn yourself out with stress. Your prospective client should know how much time you have available, at least generally; establish this up front and negotiate adjustments in the process so you can work together.

Review a sample of the work you’ll be editing. Never go in blind. Always review a sample of the client’s work to get a sense of the author’s writing style and ability. Doing so will allow you to estimate the time, effort, and resources you’ll need to expend on the project.

When I was a publishing executive, I worked with many authors who hired outside editors to coach and edit their manuscripts. Now as a consultant, I’ve edited manuscripts and provided editorial coaching to a range of clients.
Editorial consulting has been key to my business with several arrangements that have led to great working relationships. I’ve also been hit financially by ambiguous or poorly thought-through agreements. Thus, I’ve learned that the best outcomes result from writing expectations into an author-consultant agreement.
When authors and editorial consultants get together, this is the first question to ask: What editorial service(s) does the author want the hiring editor to address? To help you think through this question, here are six types of editorial services that can be offered as one or in a combination (I’m limiting my take to nonfiction editing services):

Copyediting—correct spelling, punctuation, grammatical and related mistakes in the manuscript; make references and punctuation consistent, correct figures and tables, and improve sentence structure.

Proofreading/fact checking—provide a word by word and sentence by sentence review to correct mistakes; a book manuscript fact check will rarely cover everything, rather, the checker does spot checks of website references, quotes, statements of fact, statistics, and historical statements. Ultimately, the author bears responsibility for the accuracy and originality of their manuscript. (Note: Traditional publishers almost universally provide copyediting and proofreading as part of their production process. Authors with book contracts at major houses typically can forego these outside services.)

Developmental editing—advise the author on the structure of the book, such as reordering material, making voice consistent, strengthening research, and identifying gaps or inconsistencies in content and persuasion. The consultant provides manuscript guidance; the author decides whether to implement the changes.

Stylistic editing—focus on the quality of sentences, dialogue, paragraphs, the art and craft of prose.

Substantive, content editing/rewriting—perform a developmental and stylistic edit and offer detailed, page by page changes and suggestions for rewrites.

“It’s important to nail down everyone’s responsibilities at the outset and make sure expectations are realistic,” said my friend Toni Sciarra Poynter in our conversation about this post. Poynter, along with Freelancers Union founder and Executive Director Sara Horowitz, coauthored the new and useful The Freelancer’s Bible (Workman, 2012). “Look for an editor or writer who has a track record of experience with the type of book you’re doing. But don’t expect an outside professional to magically turn flawed raw material into a bestseller. A good editorial relationship has willing accountability on both sides. The resulting trust and honesty form the foundation of a true creative collaboration.”
Because I’ve been on both sides of the editorial fence, here are some insights for authors and consultants to consider when working together. In this post, I’ll focus on authors.

Identify your project priorities at the beginning. What are the most useful changes the outside editor can make? Proofreading or copyediting are easier to check off your list. For developmental, structural, or page by page rewrites, know what is most important to your final manuscript, rather than waiting for drafts to make changes.

Learn the basics of plagiarism and fair use of intellectual property. While most authors are enthusiastic about writing original content, know how to source material and don’t submit pages that are cut and pasted from Internet. Don’t expect an editor to figure out where you sourced material—unless you specifically hire and pay for that service.

Understand what an editorial consultant can do and manage your expectations. Editors can’t make silken wings from cardboard (ghost writers have more flexibility if they are writing material from scratch). Give the consultant close to your 100 percent effort on a draft, rather than 50 percent in the hopes that the editor will “fix it.”

Build time for the consultant to read and digest your material. As an author, you’ve spent months or years on your book. You’ve turned over the ideas and words in your mind at a conscious and unconscious level countless times. Remember that the editorial consultant comes to a manuscript fresh. Scientific research indicates that our brains do their best work when given time to truly absorb and digest new material. So, set aside some time—from a few hours to a few days—to “read and think.”

Clarify timetables for turning around drafts and reviews. Deadlines aren’t fun but they are necessary. As the author, discuss guidelines and general time frames for reviewing and responding to drafts.

Read about what an editorial consultant should think about when working with authors in Part 2 of this post.

Book apps represent a new territory for authors. Our advice? Don’t be intimidated by this digital technology; an app is a new way to interact with your readers and one that augments the reading experience.

You know the stats: According to the Association of American Publishers, U.S. book
publishers brought in more revenue from e-books than hardcover books in the first
quarter of 2012—a first for the industry. What’s driving the e-book growth and
craze? Very simply, the explosion of the tablet and e-reader market. Former Morgan
Stanley analyst Mary Meeker’s highly regarded Annual Internet Trends Report (2012) noted that 29 percent of U.S. adults own a tablet or e-reader—up from two
percent less than three years ago. In 2011 alone, 48.3 million iPads, Android tablets
and e-readers were sold to U.S. consumers according to research by the NPD Group.

The growth of the tablet market brings new opportunities for book publishers with
one particular area ripe for exploration and experimentation: the app market. The
iTunes App Store alone has more than 660,000 apps, of which, 65,102 are primarily
for books. By all accounts, more people will use mobile/tablet platforms than PCs
making apps more relevant and mainstream.

How does this affect book publishers? They’re being pushed to become multimedia
companies by creating audio, video and interactive components for readers. Thus,
publishers are learning that apps are one way to sell content and reach an engaged
audience. Besides understanding app functionality, enhancements, pricing and
marketing, book publishing professionals must answer these questions:

Should a book become a dedicated app or an enhanced e-book?

Do these “immersion experiences” make people happy when they read their books?

Does it add value to the reading experience or does it get in the way of enjoying a book?

Not all books lend themselves to being converted to an app or an enhanced e-book
because of the time and resources required for such an exercise. However, many
books do and therein lies the opportunity and challenge for authors and publishers.

For authors, it’s hard not to be intimidated by apps. The ones highlighted in the
press are often by well-known authors whose publishing houses have dedicated
many resources to developing the app. However, an app doesn’t have to be fancy
with bells and whistles; it can be simple but it should be innovative and interactive
in some way. The reality is customers will demand interactive books that provide
a better and more informed and enriching experience. So authors, apps are here to
stay—it’s matter of deciding whether creating an app makes sense as a companion
piece for your book.

In the coming months, we’ll look at an array of book apps. Here are a few to spur
your thinking:

The Waste Land by T.S. Elliot: This app brings Elliot’s poem to life. The
iPad app, which costs $13.99 includes audio recordings of the poem and a
reading by Elliot himself and other literary luminaries. You can dissect the
poem by reading the many references and allusions with comprehensive and
interactive notes. There are also more than 35 expert video perspectives on
the poem and a picture gallery, which includes the original manuscript pages
where you can see how the poem took shape under editor Ezra Pound’s
hand.

Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham: One of the top-selling children’s books is
now an app. It promotes reading in young children because individual words
are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are
touched. The story is professionally narrated with background audio and
digital artwork for each scene. The iPad and iPhone app costs $3.99.

Al Gore—Our Choice: This iPhone and iPad app augments Al Gore’s bookOur Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, which examines the causes
of global warming and offers solutions that are currently being explored.
This app is an example of how interactivity can create an engaging and
fun learning experience because it combines infographics, animations,
documentary videos and images. Our Choice won the 2011 Apple Design
Award. It costs $4.99 to download.